L1a1

[Reg]

With regard to the 7.62 being an obselete calibre, I have also had the great fortune to fire both rounds from all sorts of weapons (I rather dislike the term "weapon system") and each has its merits, my point being that both are useful and should continue to see service side by side, the British Army has recently invested in this upgraded version of the good old FN MAG so will still be stinging baddies for a long time to come, doubtless alongside its smaller cousin the 5.56

Heres a toast to them both

Reg

P.S, Beautiful L1A1 BTW

[Scout]

I got more than a few rides in these, they were really great vehicles. I remmeber when the Brit units we worked with started showing up with SA80s, and no one seemed to like them, most of the guys who had them said they'd fall to bits if you shook them too hard lol I wish they'd import the SLR to the states, I'm not too sure I trust the parts kits a whole lot.

Yeah, it was pretty bad. What a POS. At least until the Brits paid HK to spruce it up. It now works ...., after a fashion. Ohh well, they do have the best standard produced service 556 metal mag in the world.
I still dont like the rifle. The Brits wanted to shoot the M4 all the time. Out of politeness, they offered that I could shoot their service rifle in kind. I ran out of excuses after a while ...

With regard to the 7.62 being an obselete calibre, I have also had the great fortune to fire both rounds from all sorts of weapons (I rather dislike the term "weapon system") and each has its merits, my point being that both are useful and should continue to see service side by side, the British Army has recently invested in this upgraded version of the good old FN MAG so will still be stinging baddies for a long time to come, doubtless alongside its smaller cousin the 5.56

Heres a toast to them both

Reg

P.S, Beautiful L1A1 BTW

Agreed. The 7.62 being obsolete is a bunch of BS. The 7.62 rules and one only have to look at the move away from the 556 towards bigger calibres with more punch.
I would rather have a 7.62 over a .556 any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

[PMKS]

I just wish we could import the rifle as manufactured, skip the American parts, it would be nice to have something more recent then a No4 with all British parts and markings. Once I get my manequins all set, I think I might start looking for one of these for my next rifle.

The reason they can't import complete L1A1's is because even though they are semi-auto only, they still have the safety sear/auto sear installed and could easily be converted to a machine gun by simply modifying or changing out the selector. This makes it a big no-no to import in the eyes of the ATF.
Supposedly some British troops in the Falklands war would file the nub from the selector to make their L1A1's full auto.

My "parts kit" L1A1 was assembled by myself, and then headspaced by a competent gunsmith. I think the enterprise receiver was the closest thing to a real L1A1 inch pattern receiver.

I used the CAI Canadian made receiver because it was set up to accept metric pattern FAL magazines, and at the time the metric FAL mags were easier to get than the Inch pattern L1A1 mags, this was right before the 1994 magazine ban went into effect.

[AMTG]

I loved the SLR....some SAS blokes showed me how using a match stick they could get full auto out of them!

Also played with the AR, basicaly a SLR with a bipod and fully auto, but still with the normal gas system....they were dangerous firing blanks through as a lot of the time the gas piston and plug would fly off into the bush at a great rate of knots!

[AMTG]

And they look a lot better doing drill with than a Austeyr!

[m3bobby]

It takes quite a bit of altering to convert a L1A1 to full auto, the matchstick myth is somthing thats been going around for years, the SASC couldn't replicate this myth so I'd like to see how it was done, perhaps it just goes fully auto and you cant stop it untill it empties the mag? A colleague of mine convered one in NI and he said it took him a substantial amount of time and effort and then of course, he had to replace all the modified parts to return it to semi.

[Stinkpotpete]

The reason they can't import complete L1A1's is because even though they are semi-auto only, they still have the safety sear/auto sear installed and could easily be converted to a machine gun by simply modifying or changing out the selector. This makes it a big no-no to import in the eyes of the ATF.
Supposedly some British troops in the Falklands war would file the nub from the selector to make their L1A1's full auto.

My "parts kit" L1A1 was assembled by myself, and then headspaced by a competent gunsmith. I think the enterprise receiver was the closest thing to a real L1A1 inch pattern receiver.

I used the CAI Canadian made receiver because it was set up to accept metric pattern FAL magazines, and at the time the metric FAL mags were easier to get than the Inch pattern L1A1 mags, this was right before the 1994 magazine ban went into effect.

Yeah, and that *****, I guess I just wish the govt could keep it's nose out of it. Even the parts kits have to have the reciever torch cut, IMO, this detracts alot from the collector value, I like the proof marks and makers marks to be there is all. I despise that they have to stamp the importers name on each piece as well, I've passed on guns because of that, but then others there's just no way around it.

[PMKS]

It takes quite a bit of altering to convert a L1A1 to full auto, the matchstick myth is somthing thats been going around for years, the SASC couldn't replicate this myth so I'd like to see how it was done, perhaps it just goes fully auto and you cant stop it untill it empties the mag? A colleague of mine convered one in NI and he said it took him a substantial amount of time and effort and then of course, he had to replace all the modified parts to return it to semi.

Are us talking about a U.S. Legal L1A1? Or UK issue?
The L1A1's in govt service had everything needed for full-auto, except for the semi only selector.

[m3bobby]

I'm on about the British Issue guns. The parts are present but require modifying. Heres a quote from Peter Laidler.

Quote

Rock and Roll with an L1A1..............
There have been a few myths about converting an issue L1A1 rifle to the select fire role. It wasn't THAT simple for the average soldier to make the L1 series of rifle fire automatic, believe me.

The first method was to try to rotate the change lever around to the 'A' position but this was impossible due to its shape and by being prevented from going past the shaft of the 'PIN, axis, trigger' protruding from the left side, just to prevent this. You could try to cut it short, but it was deliberately hard, just to prevent this so grinding it would be the only option.

You could try to completely remove the change lever but it was held in place with an akwardly placed split pin. However, even if you DID manage to get it out completely, with your thin screwdriver and snipe nosed pliers, you were stuffed again because;
the trigger will NOT rotate far enough to the rear to enable .... blah blah... because the PLUNGER, trigger (behind the 'PLATE, grip pistol') is deliberately too long to allow it to be pushed in far enough. And if you DO try to press it in further, the guide hole in the GRIP pistol is too short AND the 'SPRING sear and trigger' (interchangeable...) becomes coil bound as I seem to remember it.

There was a method, using a matchstick between the rear bent of the SEAR and the rear step of the trigger, but that meant taking the trigger assembly OUT........., and you can't do that without taking the LEVER, change out..... and that's retained by that bloody akward split pin. AND, if you did manage this, on the range without being noticed, you would have a rifle that only fired automatic. Try explaining that away to the range conducting Officer when his fire order was something like '...5 rounds application - at the target in front - , in your own time, - go on!

You COULD have a select fire L1A1 rifle, but it would have to be an Armourer that did it for you or a VERY astute and mechanically minded soldier, believe me.

First, you'd have to copy the L2 change lever profile, then remove the trigger plunger an grind .2" from the inner end...., yes, grind it because it's very hard, for that reason! Then you've got yourself a what we Armourers called a 'big Iron'! And when a standard L1A1 lets rip on auto, it REALLY does let rip. But to be truly honest, they shake themselves to bits. For example. The gas cylinder lasts for about a day, due to it continually splitting along the weak flat area where the PIN, fixing, gas cylinder prevents it from unscrewing. Even our L2A1's were little boys trying to do a mans job. They were just heavy rifles......., and not even accurate heavy rifles. There's only one gun that can be a section machine gun and it's not a heavy rifle....., it's a BREN gun End Quote.

[Paratrooper]

Great Rifle mate,
I have just bought an Old Spec one which is in better condition than the one I have which is Old Spec.
I will Post Pictures when it arrives, I will be mounting my Suit Sight and bayonet. The bayonet was the one I had in the Falklands in 82 so the rifle is exactly how mine was then. A great piece of kit.